Ski Drill Bits

[Jason4]

12 pack of good ipa.

That's a deal! I have more Kulshan IPA than I can drink at home right now. I'll give you my Pool Noodle.

[Gunder]

That's a deal! I have more Kulshan IPA than I can drink at home right now. I'll give you my Pool Noodle.

Inserts are extra, but I got those on hand.

[XXX-er]

What's that in liters or however y'all measure things?

0.0000889 kilometers

[gregL]

Assuming one was lucid enough to use a tap

wouldn't the tap stop going in the hole

when it runs out of hole ?

Pretty easy to not stop in time and create a dimple on the base, especially with light touring skis . . .

[XXX-er]

Pretty easy to not stop in time and create a dimple on the base, especially with light touring skis . . .

one could probably use the cork stop with a tap ... but that would mean another bottle of wine

[Gunder]

one could probably use the cork stop with a tap ... but that would mean another bottle of wine

Wine??? I think a good scotch is a way better fit. Nice and Smokey and it forces you to slow down to enjoy it and take your time with the mounts. Fireball works great too if your in a hurry and it’s fucking cold in the shop.

[galibier_numero_un]

Pretty easy to not stop in time and create a dimple on the base, especially with light touring skis . . .

And if the bottom layer is more robust (stops the tap), then the tap stays more or less in place and you strip the threads.

You'll probably hear the fiberglass crunching before you go too far, however.

Of course, with the requisite "beer consumption while mounting" rule around these parts, all bets are off ;-)

5-1/2 turns has worked for me on the last 8 or so mounts - this, with having drilled deeply enough so the top of the insert is 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn below the top skin.

... Thom

[waxoff]

If you don't understand when to stop turning the tap when it hits the bottom of the hole, it's either the beer talking or you have other serious issues. Like being unfortunate when thinking...

Like Thom, I also count the turns but just for a reference check, tap bottoms out during the eleventh half turn. No external stop needed.

While professional tools installs are cool and very accurate, I don't find insert instalIs that complicated. I drill the holes free hand, either in existing mount holes of pre drill with a 3.5 mm prior to runing the stepped insert drill bit. After tapping as per above, I use the insert tool free-hand as well, just the tool itself no handle necessary, but only for the first turn or two, just to engage the threads of the insert, then a flat screwdriver to the bottom. Yeah the insert might wiggle a bit initially but without forcing it into the threads it's easy enough.

Maybe not precise for some of you pros, but I have yet to mess up an insert install.

The very most important steps if you ask me, is: always predrill with a smaller drill (or use old mount holes) before running the insert drill bit, check drill holes for depth, and clean holes from debris and whatnot before adding glue.

[ntblanks]

this thread is getting me pumped. ~5 pairs to mount this season.

and, yeah, gunder's photography is outstanding.

[XXX-er]

Wine??? I think a good scotch is a way better fit. Nice and Smokey and it forces you to slow down to enjoy it and take your time with the mounts. Fireball works great too if your in a hurry and it’s fucking cold in the shop.

the whole point of a bottle of wine was the cork, you need the cork cuz its about the right length for a drill stop after I drill thru it which is > setscrewed collars or a pice of ductape, but one could use any old piece of wood that is 1.5 inches thick

mounting fixed heel I drink coffee cuz its too long of a process to stay straight cuz I don't have jigs

mounting tele one can drink anything and it will end up better or worse at the same time

[me6837]

12 pack of good ipa. poker freerolls this

žžInserts are extra, but I got those on hand.

[me6837]

I would like to add a video

[me6837]

Why I cannot post links?

[Gunder]

The Wera torque limiting screw driver I ordered came today.

Pretty impressed with it. It goes from 3-6NM in 0.25 increments.


You need to use a wrench to set it for the correct torque but thats included in the handle. I do wish it had a non wrench adjustment like my snapon torque wrenches, but its still pretty quick to set. As with all torque drivers they will last longer and stay more accurate if you turn them back to the lowest setting after every session.



When I ordered it, I was looking for one with a straight handle, but after testing this one set to 4.0NM which is the published Torque value for ski binding screws, I'm actually glad it has the extra leverage from the pistol grip handle. It will be in the way for some frame bindings, but I still plan to use a drill with the torque limiter to get the screws close anyways. This is just for the final torque setting.

It will hold any ¼ bit on the market plus the C6 and E6 bit standards. It locks them in automatically and holds the bits better than most bit drivers, but it's not as solid as my centrotec handle I posted earlier. Also, it will hold the Festool centrotec bits (my preferred these days) but won't lock them in. Once you hit the correct torque, you activate the spring loaded clutch, and it's then impossible to over torque the screws. FWIW it turns out 4.0 NM is a bit more torque than I would have guessed it to be based upon all of my years hand tightening binding screw to final torque. I suspect on any skis with beefier cores or metal laminates, this won't be an issue, but on soft core skis, It will most likely need to get set to a lower value.

This is a total splurge for binding mounts IMOP, but when you all ready have all of the associated paraphernalia it's a nice addition. I suspect I'll actually use it quite a bit more with my fleet of mountian bikes as its better suited for many of those applications than a standard torque wrench.

I am using it with my PBSwiss bits. If you haven't tried their screwdrivers and bit's they are worth a try. The quality is top notch and they last way longer than any other ones that I have used, except for the festool ones.

[Pinned]

There is a published torque spec for binding screws? Is it the same for machine screws (inserts) as it is for the self tapping screws that bindings come with?

Going to order a Pozidriv bit I guess.

[singlecross]

I use the old German manual torque spec…
Gutentite

[Gunder]

There is a published torque spec for binding screws? Is it the same for machine screws (inserts) as it is for the self tapping screws that bindings come with?

Going to order a Pozidriv bit I guess.

For all standard alpine binding screws it is 4NM and for junior bindings it’s 3NM according to almost all of the manufactures tech manuals.

Binding freedom lists 4NM on its tech page for the insert screws as well.

[Fofo]

Thank you all for your comments, stories, tips (or "hacks" as some call them now). I mounted my first set of bindings, following all the suggestions in this thread: I volcanoed the top sheet, tapped the holes until the bases were dimpled and crunching sounds came from inside the skis, I used a power drill to torque the screws until they spinned and then backed off a quarter turn, and I used water soluble glue.

No, I actually spent a ridiculous amount of time doing it, so much that at one point I thought "I can't believe that it's taking this long to drill 16 holes in two planks!"

I have one question about tapping. I did it, since these skis have metal and people with more knowledge about this than me recommend it. But since the screws are self tapping, wouldn't you prefer to feel the screws biting into the metal as you mount your bindings? Just a thought that crossed my mind as I was screwing the bindings onto the skis.

[Gunder]

I have one question about tapping. But since the screws are self tapping, wouldn't you prefer to feel the screws biting into the metal as you mount your bindings?

If you don't tap skis with a metal laminate, you run the risk of causing that metal laminate to delaminate. I have had several people over the years bring me skis to fix, where the shop they had them mounted at didn't tap them. The screws are self taping in wood, not metal.

[HukuTa_KydecHuk]

random question. Anybody know the diameter of the upper part of Wintersteiger drilling bit? Wintersteiger drill bit typically has a shank and the cutting section, cutting section is obviously 3.5, 4.1 etc... but the upper part? trying to make a 3d printed plate and don't have the bit around me now

[halliday]

I have 7.88 at the shoulder where the chuck should bottom out.

[CYJ]

Just picked up a pair of Candide BC 111 skis. Interesting that the recommended drill bit is 4.1 given no metal. Have access to both 4.1 and 3.5 (or 3.6 can't remember off the top of my head), just want to know if 4.1 is really the way to go? Only reason I can think of was some past Factions had an extra layer of fiberglass (I think) in the binding area . Still don't know if that warrants a 4.1, let alone if there is even an extra layer of fiberglass in these Candide skis as there's no mention. Thoughts? If it matters I'll be mounting Marker Jester 16s on these.

[ASmileyFace]

Drill 3.6, if there is a metal binding plate... dril with a 4.1 for the rest.

[XXX-er]

Wow ! Americans going all mofoing metric and shit, I use a 5/32nds which is 3.96875 Millimeters